News

We are pleased to report that Pitt Psychiatry faculty members have received the following recognitions:

Paul D. MacLean Award for Outstanding Neuroscience Research in Psychosomatic Medicine

Layla Banihashemi, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Bioengineering), was chosen to receive the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine’s Paul D. MacLean Award for Outstanding Neuroscience Research in Psychosomatic Medicine. The award recognizes outstanding research on emotion, the brain, and physical disease. 

Dr. Banihashemi investigates the neural correlates of brain-body connections and their contribution to stress reactivity and affective psychopathology. Her current work examines the association between childhood adversity and central visceral circuits, which are implicated in affective psychopathology and are critical in the control of stress responses.

University of Notre Dame William D. Reynolds Award 

Kelly Beck, PhD, LPC, CRC (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the University of Notre Dame William D. Reynolds Award. The Reynolds Award is presented to Notre Dame alumni who have made exceptional contributions to improving the lives of youth. 

A rehabilitation scientist, clinical educator, and licensed professional counselor, Dr. Beck works to improve the mental health of autistic and other neurodivergent people. She founded and directs the Pittsburgh Adult Autism Research Community Collaborative (PAARCC), and additionally directs the Schools Unified in Neurodiversity (SUN) Collaborative project, which aims to foster inclusive and safe schools for neurodivergent children. 

Fellows of the International Neuropsychological Society 

Meryl Butters, PhD (Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science), and Stuart Steinhauer, PhD (Adjunct Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Research Health Scientist, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System), have been elected inaugural fellows of the International Neuropsychological Society (FINS). 

Dr. Butters is an internationally recognized expert in geriatric mental health. Her work focuses on examining the course of neurocognitive functioning in late-life depression, and on examining the mechanistic neurobiologic links between major depression and risk of future dementia.

Dr. Steinhauer founded and directs the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Biometrics Research Program, which is focused on improving our understanding of physiological correlates of cognition in individuals with and without psychopathology.

Congratulations to all!